Our guest blogger Jodie Logsdon recently experienced a cruise holiday for the first time and compares her time spent on-board as to that of an adventure holiday. She took part in practically every activity available from rock-climbing to surfing, ice-skating to basketball as well as being able to visit eight different locations in just 2 weeks. Find out more about her travels with this insider’s view of cruising for the first-timer. If you’ve been on a cruise too, get in touch and let us know your experiences or tell us your funny stories – we’d love to hear them!
So I’ve been rock climbing, surfing, played golf, been ice skating and played a range of sports from table tennis to basketball and visited 8 different locations in 2 weeks – have I been on an adventure holiday? No… I’ve been on a… CRUISE!
Cruising to me has always been something for old people and after having a long flight to the Caribbean last year and my boyfriend nearly in tears (he doesn’t like flying!) I agreed that we would go on a cruise departing from Southampton to ease his flying fears for one year. I, myself, love flying and everything about it from getting up at 3.30am, to the queuing at check in, to waiting for the plane and then take off – so I honestly didn’t think I would ever be turned into a cruise lover! Usually on my normal holiday I do nothing apart from chilling by the pool & topping up the tan then by the second week I’m as bored as anything but refuse to pay £75 to go on an excursion to visit some zoo due to the price and the possible long journey there and back. So I end up doing nothing again for the second week = being bored! I also tend to spend my holidays eating pasta for 2 weeks for lunch and dinner and refuse to get up for breakfast to have hot dogs, so I was wondering what the menu’s would offer on board but nevertheless, here is my cruise experience.
1. Check in
We grabbed a tag for our luggage and went to check in, which is a lot quicker, easier and stress free then at an airport and boarded the ship… the holiday begins now!
2. The “Stateroom”
Or the cabin, or your room. To put this into perspective: last year we stayed in a Junior Suite and had a balcony, 2 queen sized beds, seating area and a huge dressing table, a huge bathroom with tub and shower AND then you walk into your Stateroom. £1300 each and that doesn’t even get you a window – and it is about the same size as your small back bedroom that you use as a study – but you adjust and it is actually quite nice after a few days.
3. The Food
First and foremost the food is superb and if you don’t like it, send it back and get something different! There were curries, Thai food, Chinese food along with typical English food such as mashed potato and a casserole. I was able to try snails, lobster, scallops and a range of desserts. The breakfasts had everything you could possibly dream off from Salmon and Kippers to pastries and cakes but best of all… THEY HAD KELLOGG’S CEREAL!
4. The Excursions
On this trip we visited 8 different locations in the Western Mediterranean, mainly in Spain. Some places I didn’t want to see (which is great because it means the ship is pretty much yours for the taking!) Some we just got off and had a look around the port and a few we went on a tour. I was worried at the price of excursions as I thought the price of the cruise was pretty hefty and thought the excursions would match. Yet a 4 hour tour of Barcelona was £25 and you were picked up from the port, taken on a nice air conditioned coach, had a few stops to walk around and take some pictures before returning back to the ship just in time for lunch = my PERFECT excursion!
5. The Service
In one word: Outstanding! Everyone from the cleaners, to the Stateroom attendants to the bar staff were ALWAYS happy to help, ALWAYS had a smile – but never seemed forced, they seemed genuinely happy!
Bet you’re still thinking – “but I’m stuck on a ship for X amount of days”. Well between the sunbathing, poolside entertainment, ice shows, ice skating, rock climbing, surfing, gambling in the casino, playing in the arcade, playing sports such as table tennis, basketball and football, crazy golf, watching films in the cinema, shopping along the promenade and don’t forget EATING along with all the other day time activities that are arranged from quizzes to talks about the next port to napkin folding classes and then onto the night time entertainment in the 1,200 seated theatre from comedians to Motown acts to hypnotists – you don’t have a chance to remember you’re on a ship.
If I am honest there is a negative point about this holiday… my boyfriend also gets sea sick!!!